News from Czech beer scene plus some more stuff. Na zdravi!

Craft Beer Branding Wars: 10 BREWERIES THAT HAVE STEPPED UP THEIR PACKAGING GAMEhttp://firstwefeast.com/
Since the 1970s, the number of craft breweries operating in the U.S. has skyrocketed from less than 100 to more than 2,500. That’s promising news for the industry as a whole, but if you’re a new upstart fighting for recognition—or an older outfit trying to stay relevant—it spells fierce competition. Go to any beer store—or even the local bodega—and you’ll be inundated by choice. Which of the 60 different IPAs on offer are you going to pick? In craft beer, as in any business, branding matters. But rather than relying on million-dollar Super Bowl commercials and sponsorships to push their product, most small breweries duke it out on the shelves simply with cool bottles and cans. If you’re as into label art as we are, it’s exciting is to see how these brands create visual identities to match the creativity of their beers.

The attack of Haynau: “Down with the Austrian butcher!”http://hopbot.co/
The Spring of Nations took Europe by storm. People for various reasons from different background thought it was time to act. From Paris to Debrecen people fought for what they thought was right against their opressor, military officials like Julius Jacob von Haynau. In 1801 he started his military career in the Austrian army, rose quickly in the ranks and when the revolutionary insurrections of 1848 broke out in Italy, Haynau was selected to command troops to suppress them. He is still known as the “Hangman of Arad“, the “Hyena of Brescia” or just simply as “The Butcher” He had earned his delightful moniker by torturing prisoners and flogging women while suppressing revolts in Italy and Hungary. But this is a beer blog, so why do I write all about this you ask? I get to it now.

Pop the Top: The 15 Best Canned Beershttp://hiconsumption.com/
There’s no denying that cans are more convenient than bottles. Cans are lighter, less breakable, and they’re also better for the environment. But canned beers come with a stigma–that they all taste metallic and are, therefore, inferior to bottled brews. This may have been the case when canned beers were first introduced in 1935, but both brewing and canning technologies have come a long way since then, right? There are now a growing number of canned suds that satisfy. Even Samuel Adams began canning their brews in 2013, paving the way for smaller craft breweries to follow the trend. But now when you go into your local beverage center, you might see a wall of beer which all look similar–which includes the less-tasty offerings from the big brewers. In fact, some of the big guys are now masking their mediocre beer with a craft-style can design (we’re looking at you, Anheuser-Busch). So without further ado, here are the 15 best canned beers.

Mexican craft beer a Cinco de Mayo reviewhttp://www.examiner.com/
With Cinco de Mayo coming up Sunday, May 5, a look at the state of affairs of Mexican craft beer is in order. Mexican beer has come a long way from the pale yellow fizzy lagers like Corona and Tecate. In today’s Mexico, craft brewers are setting up shop in and around major cities like Mexico City, Tijuana and Guadalajara. These pioneers have seen the craft beer craze sweep through the United States and seek to bring the great flavors of Mexico to artfully crafted ales. In an article by Yahoo Food editor Rachel Tepper, John Holl, editor of All About Beer Magazine, explained, “We’re seeing stouts, Belgian-style ales, tripels, beers that have local ingredients in with the mash,” Holl explained. “I think local ingredients can really be everything. Beers are brewed with cactus. Beers are aged in tequila barrels, or with spices that might go into certain local dishes.”

5 unlikely celebrities with some skin in the craft beer gamehttp://hopbox.co/
Ever wonder what celebrities do with their spare time and money? We’ve all heard stories about Charlie Sheen taking a hit of the devil’s dandruff and threatening porn stars. Justin Bieber might get a little high, hurl some eggs at his neighbor’s house, and then blame cocaine possession on his African American friend when the cops show up. Should we go on? Some celebrities, however, are productive, participating members of the community. And not just any community, we’re talking the craft beer community we’ve all come to know and love. In fact, we did a little research and put together a list of 5 celebrity-backed beers you’ve probably never heard of but should know about. There are some unlikely names in here, so get ready.